Thuja Green Giant vs Leyland Cypress for Privacy Screens

Thuja Green Giant and Leyland Cypress are the most popular privacy screen trees because they are inexpensive compared to other evergreens, the two fastest growing evergreen trees, and also they do not shed lots of needles like Pine trees do. The fast growing attribute translates into less expensive purchase price. You will likely pay less for a 12 foot Leyland Cypress or Thuja Green Giant than a Norway Spruce because they did not need to cared for as long in the growers care. Thuja Green Giant and Leyland Cypress trees both can grow three feet per year if fertilized properly.

One of the advantages of Thuja Green Giant trees over Leylands is Thuja Green Giant are deer resistant. While deer hate Thuja Green Giant as food, they really don't like Leyland Cypress that much either. All the locations we grow Leyland Cypress we also grow Thuja Green Giant, deer are very plentiful and never damage them. There are woods and fields nearby, it is urban deer with no other food that eat on Leyland Cypress when there is trouble. They only damage smaller trees anyway, 6 foot tall and smaller.

Another advantage of Thuja Green Giant over Leyland Cypress is Thuja Green Giant are cold hardy through hardiness zone five, which includes mainland NY state, Maine, Northern CT, Mass, etc. Leyland Cypress are safe through hardiness zone six, all of Long Island, southern Mass, CT, etc. There are many websites available where you can enter your zip-code and find your hardiness zone. If you see Leylands growing in your area, that is obviously the answer that they do well in your area. One tip is if you are on the northern-most range of Leyland Cypress trees, it is more important that you plant in spring because the first winter should find them partially established, or rooted. We recommend if you are north of Virginia, not to plant Leyland Cypress trees after October 15th. Almost every year, we ship a load or two after that date to Long Island and they have good success but do not plant into November and also you can expect some wind-burn on Leyland Cypress trees planted in late fall. This is usually not a big problem, the following spring I like to trim off the outer 2" if that is how much has browned, apply slow release fertilizer around April 1, and they will push out new growth and be fine. Winter burn is not about greenery that froze to become brown, it is due to the tree not being able to send enough moisture to support the greenery during winter when the ground was frozen, leaving the outer edge of the greenery brown. Feel free to call or email us for cities and locations where we have repeat Leyland Cypress customers, like Fairfield CT, etc.

I disagree with the opinion a few have that Thuja Green Giant are much less susceptible to insects and diseases. Where I have Leylands and Thuja Green Giant growing side by side, I see that Bagworms are attracted to both trees. It is true that Leyland Cypress can develop a disease called Seiridium Canker, that does not seem to attack Thuja Green Giant, whenever I have heard of Seiridium Canker it only attacked extremely stressed Leyland Cypress trees, for example by planting way to close together and not topping them at the recommended height based on spacing. I have a detailed article explaining proper spacing, the zig zag pattern, etc on my website. Since Bagworms like both Thuja Green Giant and Leyland Cypress trees equally, and the Leyland Cypress diseases attacks trees in extreme stress, my opinion is if Leyland Cypress are planted properly, with normal after planting care, both are excellent privacy screen trees. If you have an extreme deer damage issue, or are in zone 5, either tree will make an excellent privacy screen. a Leyland Cypress hedge will fill in quicker than Thuja Green Giant because they are fuller in the top half.

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